Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Benefits of Reaping

I have to say, I went into REAPER (one hour action comedy on the CW) not expecting much. But it is a fun show – breezy, enjoyable action, and a bit of depth – but not too much, as a show about slackers can’t make you think too much without being hypocritical.

The basic idea: Sam’s parents sold his soul to the devil, and now Sam has to work as a bounty hunter tracking down hell’s fugitives.

But Sam is rather ill-equipped for the job, being a slacker near-loser who still lives with his parents and works a minimum wage job. Not quite the Dog type.

The drama isn’t too wrought, whether darkly funny as Dad tries to explain why he would sell his son’s soul all the while maintaining a shrugging believe that he is a good parent; or Sam mending a major riff with his best friend with an (appropriately) one line scene.

And I like the devil – not over preening, not the ranting “I will win in the end!” screamer of the movies. This guy even acknowledges that he knows how it will all end (not well for him); but he still has a job to do, so why not enjoy the perks?

His last line in the pilot is great theology: “That was nice. I can be nice!”

For all those Christians out there who still believe that the hallmark of a believer is being nice, look out, you have competition.

On a scale from Caveman to Battlestar, REAPER rates just a notch below ANGEL (which is not a bad place to be).

Just my thoughts,

Sean

1 comment:

Linds said...

As Stephen Sondheim so wisely said, "Nice is different than good."